Sotheby’s Quietly Tried to Sell Arne Glimcher’s Pollock for $50 M.—It Didn’t Go as Planned

Sotheby's secretly organized a private auction for Jackson Pollock's "Number 19, 1951," owned by Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher, with an asking price of $50 million. The sale was held at the Breuer Building in Manhattan with unusual secrecy, including flying in star auctioneer Oliver Barker from London and sending a recorded pitch to prospective buyers. However, Sotheby's could not secure enough bidders, and the auction was ultimately called off; the painting's current whereabouts remain unclear.

Comment | Farewell, Los Angeles’s ‘punk’ Box gallery

Mara McCarthy, founder of the Box gallery in Los Angeles, announced the closure of the boundary-pushing commercial space on April 24 after 19 years. The gallery, which opened in 2007 in LA's Chinatown and later moved to the Arts District in 2012, was known for spotlighting under-recognized post-war and contemporary artists, including performance pioneers Barbara T. Smith and Simone Forti, moving-image artist Stan Vanderbeek, and political artist Wally Hedrick. McCarthy described the gallery as a "punk version" of New York spaces, grounded in humanity and community. The closure was driven by declining sales of her father Paul McCarthy's work, collectors turning away from experimental art during the pandemic, and the devastating Eaton Fire in 2025 that destroyed Mara's home and her parents' home in Altadena.

We Asked Artists, Dealers, Lawyers, and Advisers What Gallery Representation Means Today—And It’s Surprisingly Complicated

ARTnews explores the evolving and often ambiguous nature of gallery representation through interviews with artists, dealers, lawyers, and advisers. The article traces British painter Nigel Cooke's journey from his first representation by Stuart Shave/Modern Art in 2002 to his current gallery Pace, and his recent exhibition "Bad Habits" at Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice. It highlights the gap between the romantic ideal of a dealer discovering and nurturing an artist's career and the commercial reality of contracts, commissions, and termination clauses.

Phoenix Probably Shouldn’t Exist. But Eric Fischl and Frank Lloyd Wright Make It Feel Like the Future

The article is a personal essay recounting the author's multiple visits to Phoenix, Arizona, in 2025. It reflects on the city's rapid growth, its reliance on air-conditioning and water from the Colorado River, and the surreal abundance of swimming pools. The narrative weaves together observations about the city's landscape, including non-native palm trees, and a dinner with artist Eric Fischl, who was judging an art show at Phoenix College. Fischl's painting "Daddy's Gone, Girl" (2016) is discussed as a key example of his work, which often explores suburban unease.

Lisson Grove's galleries collaborate to promote London's unsung art district

Lisson Gallery, The Showroom, The Bomb Factory Art Foundation, Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, and Palmer Gallery have formed the Lisson Grove Galleries initiative to promote the artistic activity of London's Lisson Grove district. The collaboration will launch during London Gallery Weekend (5-7 June 2025) with talks, tours, performances, and events, including discussions on collectivism, artist talks, and private views, with ongoing programming throughout the year.

The 21st Century’s Biggest Art Trend is Not a Style. But Once You See It, You’ll Notice It Everywhere.

The article traces the evolution of "systems art," a term coined by critic Jack Burnham in 1968 to describe art that uses rules, seriality, and repetition to mirror and reveal the growing protocols of the Cold War era. It highlights early practitioners like Kenneth Noland, Robert Morris, Dan Flavin, and notably Hans Haacke and Adrian Piper, who shifted from atmospheric systems (e.g., Haacke's *Condensation Cube*) to social systems (e.g., Haacke's *Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings*). The piece argues that systems thinking has become unavoidable in contemporary life—from algorithms to systemic racism—and that art remains a crucial tool for making these invisible systems legible.

How JR Transformed Paris’s Oldest Bridge Into a Massive Grotto

French artist JR has transformed Paris's Pont Neuf, the city's oldest bridge, into a massive inflatable grotto titled *La Caverne du Pont Neuf* (2026). The installation measures 120 meters long, 20 meters wide, and up to 18 meters tall, and will be open to the public from June 6 to June 28. It incorporates sound design by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk, augmented reality via Snap Inc., and a Bloomberg Connect guide. Over 800 people helped realize the project, which was fabricated from 18,900 square meters of fabric and 20,000 cubic meters of pressurized air by French firm Air Toiles Concept. The work concludes a five-year series of large-scale trompe l'oeil pieces by JR and pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's *The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris* (1975–85), with the blessing of their foundation.

Tracey Emin, Katharina Grosse, and More Rally to Raise $2.7 Million for South London Gallery

Christie’s is partnering with the South London Gallery (SLG) on a special selling exhibition featuring works donated by 28 artists, including Tracey Emin, Frank Bowling, Katharina Grosse, Alvaro Barrington, and Ryan Gander. The exhibition is part of SLG’s “SLG Forever” fundraising campaign, which aims to raise £2 million ($2.7 million) to renovate the gallery’s historic Victorian building and support its outreach programs. The show will be open to the public at Christie’s London from June 5–25, with extended hours during London Gallery Weekend, and will continue online until September 30.

Your Summer Guide: 20 Art World Highlights Not to Miss

ARTnews has published a summer guide highlighting 20 art world events and exhibitions not to miss in the coming months. Featured highlights include the opera 'El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego' at the Metropolitan Opera, the 'Costume Art' exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a Björk show titled 'echolalia' at the National Gallery of Iceland, a book on the Venice Biennale by Massimiliano Gioni, Raven Halfmoon's 'Flags of Our Mothers' at Ballroom Marfa, a Pierre Huyghe exhibition at Fondation Beyeler Basel, a James McNeill Whistler retrospective at Tate Britain, and the inaugural Medina Triennial in New York.

Waddington’s Spring Sale Spotlights Canadian Masters

Toronto-based auction house Waddington's will hold its Major Spring Sale on May 28, 2026, marking its 176th anniversary. The sale comprises three sessions: Canadian & International Fine Art, First Nations Art, and Inuit Art. Highlights include works by Lawren Stewart Harris (Lake Superior Sketch, VI, est. $700,000–$800,000 CAD), David Brown Milne (Heavy Forms, 1913, est. $80,000–$120,000), Rudolf Ernst (Finishing Touches, est. $100,000–$150,000 CAD), Emily Carr (Somewhere, ca. 1942, est. $350,000–$450,000), and Norval Morrisseau (Young Shaman with Powers, 1978, est. $100,000–$150,000 CAD). The sale spans diverse periods and mediums, with a focus on Canadian masters and Indigenous art.

Art in America’s Summer Issue Features 20 “New Talent” Artists, Juicy Art Heist Stories, and More

Art in America's Summer issue features 20 emerging artists in its annual "New Talent" portfolio, selected by the magazine's editors. The issue also includes a feature on art heist stories by Jackson Arn, an essay on systems art by Emily Watlington, and a piece on tragicomic times by Eugenie Brinkema. Additional content includes a tribute to Henrike Naumann, a spotlight on Olga Fröbe-Kapteyn, a book review of Trevor Paglen's latest work, and departments covering museum and gallery worker perspectives, a Frick Collection vs. Morgan Library comparison, and a summer reading list of art-themed novels.

The Wild Nine-Month Journey that Led to Nathaniel Mary Quinn Designing the Rolling Stones’ New Album Cover

Nathaniel Mary Quinn was commissioned to create the cover art for the Rolling Stones' new album *Foreign Tongues*, due July 10, after a three-way call with Mick Jagger and producer Andrew Watt. Over nine months, Quinn developed a composite portrait merging the faces of Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood, and also redesigned the band's iconic tongue-and-lips logo. The process involved regular conversations with Jagger and Richards, a private rehearsal session, and a lunch at the Baccarat Hotel, culminating in the band choosing Quinn's original composite over a second option featuring a vintage sports car.

While the world is ending outside

Während draußen die Welt untergeht

The ninth edition of the art festival "Various Others" opened in Munich amid rain, with galleries, institutions, and off-spaces presenting their exhibitions. Highlights include Jana Schröder's large-format paintings at Jahn und Jahn, juxtaposed with Willem de Kooning's works on newspaper; André Butzer's solo show at Galerie Christine Mayer, featuring his transition from monochrome 'N-Bilder' back to color; and Anselm Reyle's solo exhibition at Walter Storms in collaboration with Galerie Dirimart. Two standout shows are inspired by Persian miniature painting: Elif Saydam's 'Glory' at Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, where silver and gold leaf works will oxidize over centuries, and another exhibition exploring bodies in transitional states—pupating, oxidizing, and escaping fixed forms.

In a new home, Photo London gets down to business

Photo London opened its 2025 edition at a new venue, Olympia’s Grand Hall in West Kensington, on 13 May, moving from its previous decade-long home at Somerset House. Despite a hailstorm, the preview day saw lively sales: Paris-B Gallery sold three works for £100,000, including pieces by Yang Yongliang; In Camera sold both a vintage and modern print of Jane Everlyn Atwood's *Auto Portrait (Serpent)*; and Radius Publishing moved 40% of its stock by Thursday lunchtime. The fair runs until 17 May, with prices ranging from £100 to £400,000.

Frieze New York, the Cranach in Hitler’s Munich apartment, Ajamu X—podcast

This episode of The Art Newspaper's podcast covers several art-world stories. Ben Sutton and Kabir Jhala discuss the current edition of Frieze New York, alongside other concurrent fairs like Esther and Tefaf, and preview the upcoming New York auctions. Ben Luke interviews Martin Bailey about a Lucas Cranach the Elder painting, 'Cupid Complaining to Venus' (1526-27), which once hung in Adolf Hitler's Munich apartment, with a newly published photograph from the 1940s. The episode also features a segment on Ajamu X's 'Glamour Posse' series from the early 1990s, part of the touring exhibition 'Gender Stories' opening at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, with comments from gallery head Charlotte Keenan.

Queer eyes in focus, sculpture hits pay dirt and Whistler’s world – the week in art

This week's art roundup from The Guardian highlights a major exhibition of James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain, showcasing the American artist's impact on Victorian Britain with avant-garde influences from Paris and Japan. Other notable exhibitions include "Gender Stories" at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, featuring works by David Hockney and Grayson Perry; Delcy Morelos's earthy sculptures at the Barbican Centre; and Henry Moore's sculptures at Kew Gardens. The article also covers news of a Nazi-looted portrait found in the home of a Dutch SS leader's family, protests at the Venice Biennale over Israel's inclusion, and the unveiling of Zineb Sedira's film installation at Tate Britain.

How Christie’s Recruited Nicole Kidman to Sell S.I. Newhouse’s $100 Million Brancusi

Christie's has released a promotional video featuring actress Nicole Kidman to advertise the upcoming auction of Constantin Brancusi's bronze sculpture *Danaïde* (1913), estimated at $100 million. The sculpture comes from the collection of the late media mogul S.I. Newhouse, who purchased it for $18.2 million in 2002. The nearly two-minute film, shot at Christie's Rockefeller Center headquarters, shows Kidman interacting with the work and was conceived by former Sotheby's auctioneer and Newhouse estate advisor Tobias Meyer. The sale is scheduled for May 18 in New York.

What is Nicole Kidman Doing in a Christie’s Video Promoting the Upcoming S.I. Newhouse Sale?

Christie’s has released a two-minute promotional video featuring actress Nicole Kidman interacting with Constantin Brancusi’s bronze sculpture *Danaïde* (1913), ahead of the S.I. Newhouse collection sale in New York. The sculpture carries a pre-sale estimate of $100 million, and the video—inspired by a Man Ray film of Lee Miller—shows Kidman dancing around the work to David Bowie’s “Golden Years.” The sale, scheduled for May 18, includes 16 masterpieces from the late media magnate’s collection, expected to total around $450 million.

Art Basel strives to maintain its prestige

Art Basel s’efforce de maintenir son prestige

Art Basel has announced details for its 2026 edition in Basel, featuring 290 galleries from 43 countries. The fair introduces a new "Basel Exclusive" label, which designates select major artworks unveiled exclusively during the VIP opening, with participating galleries agreeing not to preview these works through pre-sale channels. Twenty-two galleries from the 2025 edition are absent, some due to closures (Blum, Sperone Westwater) and others shifting to Art Basel Paris (Art: Concept, Emanuela Campoli, Fergus McCaffrey, David Nolan Gallery, Jeffrey Deitch). The fair maintains a re-enrollment rate above 90% and adds about twenty newcomers, including twelve in the main sector. For the first time, galleries from Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey will participate, expanding geographic representation. The fair also highlights its strong modern art offering, with specialized dealers like Acquavella Galleries, Landau Fine Art, and Mayoral.

À Paris, Anglet ou Dreux, 5 expositions gratuites à voir en juin

The article highlights five free art exhibitions to see in France in June 2026, spanning Paris, Anglet, Dreux, and the Maine-et-Loire region. In Paris, the Bibliothèque historique de la Ville de Paris presents "C'était Paris en 1970," showcasing 100,000 photographs from a 1970 city-wide contest to document the capital. In Anglet, the Centre d'art contemporain hosts "Tutti Frutti," a group show curated by Anne-Laure Lestage featuring 18 artists whose works evoke the atmosphere of a market, including pieces by Miriam Cahn, Takako Saito, and Manuel Wroblewski. In Maine-et-Loire, the exhibition "Dans le Maine-et-Loire, de grands artistes ouvrent les portes de leur atelier" displays photographs by Jean Marie del Moral of artists' studios, featuring figures like Joan Mitchell, Miquel Barceló, and Damien Hirst. Additional free exhibitions are mentioned in Dreux and elsewhere, though details are cut off.

5 free must-see exhibitions to pick in Parisian galleries in May

5 expos gratuites coups de cœur à cueillir dans les galeries parisiennes en mai

Beaux Arts Magazine highlights five free exhibitions to visit in Parisian galleries in May 2026. At Galerie Mayoral, a show explores Alexander Calder's ties to Paris, featuring gouaches and totems. Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire presents Michel Jocaille's first solo exhibition, "Lily of the Valley," which uses lily-of-the-valley motifs to evoke labor history and camp aesthetics. Galerie Anne-Laure Buffard hosts a poignant dialogue between Diane Esmond, a painter whose works were burned by the Nazis, and her granddaughter Adrianna Wallis, whose photographs reference looted objects. Galerie Templon exhibits Alioune Diagne's paintings inspired by Wolof traditions, and another gallery shows prints by Swedish artist Mamma Andersson.

Francis Picabia: Against Bad Breath and Cathedrals of Shit

ArtReview examines the enduring relevance of Francis Picabia through the exhibition "Francis Picabia: Expanding Horizons" at Hauser & Wirth in London. The show presents a five-decade, 32-work mini-retrospective of Picabia's painting and drawing, spanning from an untitled impressionist landscape (1902) to his late Dada-themed works. The article highlights Picabia's deliberately wayward, ever-changing practice, his provocative aphorisms (e.g., "Cubism is a cathedral of shit"), and his role as a precursor to appropriation art, Pop, Conceptualism, and 'bad' painting, with key series including the Espagnoles, Transparencies, and mechanomorphic images.

17 New Artist Auction Records Set in May 2026

New York's spring auction week, starting May 18, 2026, saw record-breaking sales led by Christie's, which realized over $1.1 billion across two opening night sales. Major estate consignments from Condé Nast owner S.I. Newhouse, MoMA trustee Agnes Gund, dealer Marian Goodman, and financier Robert Mnuchin fueled the market, resulting in 17 new artist auction records.

$2.2 million El Anatsui work leads Frieze New York 2026 sales.

Frieze New York 2026 opened its 15th edition at The Shed in Manhattan on May 13th with a VIP preview, drawing collectors, museum directors, artists, and celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Fox, and Sharon Stone. The fair features 68 galleries from 25 countries and runs through May 17th, with a $2.2 million work by El Anatsui leading reported sales.

Weekly News Roundup: June 12, 2026

Frieze Seoul 2026 announces its fifth edition with over 125 galleries from 30 countries, returning to COEX in Gangnam from September 2–5 in partnership with Kiaf SEOUL. Hong Kong debuts its first permanent Yayoi Kusama outdoor sculpture, a three-meter-tall green polka-dotted pumpkin at The Twins Tower I in Kai Tak. The Taishin Arts Awards names Indigenous Taiwanese performance collective TAI Body Theatre as Grand Prize winner for their work qaqay (2025). Iranian German artist Natascha Sadr Haghighian wins the inaugural LVM Insurance Art Prize for Public Art for her installation 86° WALTER HALİT (2025).

For young dealers, being in New York is key to surviving and thriving

The article examines how young art dealers in New York are adapting to the city's high costs and competitive market during the May art season. It highlights galleries like Europa, Esther, and Gordon Robichaux participating in multiple fairs simultaneously, such as Frieze New York and Independent New York, to maximize sales and visibility. Dealers like Pali Kashi and Silke Lindner emphasize strategic resourcefulness, with some sales already covering fair costs, while referencing artist Josh Kline's essay on how real estate pressures stifle artistic risk-taking.

10 Must-See Shows During Paris Gallery Weekend 2026

Paris Gallery Weekend 2026 returns for its 14th edition from May 29th to 31st, organized by the Comité Professionnel des Galeries d’Art. The event features 73 galleries across the Marais and other districts, offering three days of programming with must-see exhibitions during the city's vibrant late spring season.

Landmark Works Lead Cowley Abbott’s Sale of Indigenous and International Art

Cowley Abbott is staging its major spring sale, 'Select Masterworks of Indigenous and International Art,' at the Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto on May 27. The auction features a diverse range of works, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 'Paysage du Midi' (ca. 1900), Vincent van Gogh's 'Homme à la Pipe: Portrait du Docteur Gachet' (1890), Philip Russell Goodwin's 'Camping – Canadian Club' (1916), Emily Carr's 'Wind' (1936), and Lawren Stewart Harris's 'Above Coldwell Bay, North Shore, Lake Superior (Lake Superior Sketch XV)' (1925), with estimates ranging from CA$150,000 to CA$700,000.

Duane Michals, Who Expanded Photography’s Boundaries With Élan, Dies at 94

Photographer Duane Michals, known for pushing fine-art photography's narrative potential by incorporating text and cinematic frame-by-frame sequences, died on Wednesday in Manhattan at age 94. Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania in 1932, Michals began adding text to his images in 1974, challenging conventions like Henri Cartier-Bresson's "Decisive Moment." His career spanned commercial work for magazines like Esquire and Mademoiselle, album covers, and portraits of stars including Robin Williams and Tilda Swinton, alongside a parallel art practice that explored death, sexuality, dreams, and paternal love through sequenced photographs, paintings, and sculptures. His first solo show was at New York's Underground Gallery in 1963, and his breakthrough museum exhibition came at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1970.

Steven Adrian Stewart, Founder of Kansas Gallery, Dead at 46

Steven Adrian Stewart, founder of the Lower East Side's Kansas Gallery, has died at age 46. Stewart died on May 26 in Lawrence, Kansas, near where he grew up; no cause of death was provided. He founded Kansas Gallery in 2011, representing a roster of emerging artists including Michael Berryhill, Mira Dancy, Ethan Greenbaum, and Sylvan Lionni, before closing the space in 2016. After moving to Melbourne, Australia, he cofounded Futures Gallery in 2021 and later worked at Elizabeth Leach Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Stewart is survived by his wife, artist Jen Berean, and their two children.